Crime & Safety

Former Police Chief to Head Regional Investigation Center

Former Allentown Police Chief Roger MacLean will lead the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center. He starts Monday.

Former Allentown Police Chief Roger MacLean has been named Chief Investigator of the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center, based in  Allentown.

MacLean, 61, served 39 years with the Allentown Police Department, retiring early this month. He starts his new job Monday, Sept. 16.

MacLean will assist the center's crime analysts and act as a liaison to investigators.

Find out what's happening in Bethlehemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The regional center, which opened in September 2012, allows the 17 police departments in Lehigh County and four of the departments in Northampton County—Walnutport, North Catasauqua, Northampton and Bethlehem—to share information, including descriptions of suspects, cars and guns used in crimes, through a web-based portal. It aims to "revolutionize" the way police departments analyze and share data to solve crimes.

District Attorney James B. Martin said MacLean will be an asset to the center because of his extensive knowledge of the Lehigh Valley. 

Find out what's happening in Bethlehemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Roger brings a historical perspective to the job and institutional knowledge that can only be gained by experience and by knowing the city and its diversity, the surrounding communities, and the developments in law enforcement and technology that are used to fight crime,” Martin said in a prepared release.

The center is at 640 Hamilton St., Allentown.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.